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I'm excited to share a preview of this new piece that I collaborated on with friend and fellow artist Jonathan Blum!
Come check it out TONIGHT at the opening party for Brooklyn's Big Tent and the launch of ARTSLOPE a nine day art festival in Park Slope, Brooklyn. This piece will be on display with works from 30 other Park Slope artists.
At Shapeshifter Lab-18 Whitwell Pl (near 1st St), Brooklyn, NY 11215, Gowanus. Friday, Sept. 16,7pm-Midnight
I'll be spinning records throughout the night along with a few friends and fellow vinylheads. Hope you can make it, if not, enjoy the preview!
0 Comments on ArtSlope***Opening Party TONIGHT*** Friday, Sept. 16,7pm-Midnight as of 9/16/2016 5:09:00 PM
Uncle Tom was the worst insult that could be hurled at a person of color. Case in point, on a 1988 airing of the Geraldo Show, politician and activist Roy Innis (who has found himself on the unfortunate side of several debates including the issue of gun control) was called an "Uncle Tom" by John Metzger of the Aryan Resistance. Insulted and affronted, Innis leaves his chair and grabs Metzger by the throat, just before the whole show descends into bedlam, becoming one of the early, eventful moments in shock television.
At the time, I was old enough to know what the term meant and even though I don't remember ever being called an "Uncle Tom," (as so many similar slurs were freely used to hurt people in my childhood) I was often called "oreo" - meaning black on the outside and white on the inside. I began to wonder about the origin of the term "Uncle Tom" and decided that Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel UNCLE TOM'S CABIN was the best place to unearth some answers. To my surprise, the character of Uncle Tom was not the despicable traitor to his race, cavorting and conspiring with "old massa," that I had imagined.
Later, greater insight came to me, from all places, an episode of the Jeffersons. In the show, George calls Louise's uncle, who's visiting from out of a town, an "Uncle Tom." Louise's uncle then gives George a brief history lesson about a man named Josiah Henson whose autobiography "inspired" Harriett Beecher Stowe's UNCLE TOM'S CABIN and was the basis for the character. It turns out that not only did Josiah Henson escape slavery and write his autobiography, he was a minister, abolitionist (helping many to escape slavery) and founder of a settlement and school in Canada for those escaping slavery. In addition, it seems that Stowe may have been more than just inspired by his autobiography- - http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/abolitn/henson49hp.html
I was disturbed and irked that this man, Josiah Henson, who made such a compelling contribution to American history, literature and the abolition of slavery has had his legacy so altered and corrupted. A mentor of mine once referred to a quote that he attributed to the novelist Flaubert, - "eat like the bourgeois, talk like the bourgeois and save your anger for your art." At the time I heard it, I'm not sure if it was an affirmation of what I was already doing or a call to action, but it's stuck with me and has become an animating force for my work. Sambo, Uncle Tom, and all the wrongs of history, especially those that personally troubled me have become fodder for my art.
Still mystified as to how this man's name and character became an epithet and an object of derision, I continued my quest, all the while thinking about bringing his story to my work. This is the first painting....
Followed by this....
And sketchbook work...
I began to consider the divisive power of such a term, the negative consequences of such labeling and the parameters that determine if one is indeed an "Uncle Tom" or "sellout." Who or what jury determines such a thing? In a conversation with Cornell West and Tavis Smiley, musician Bill Withers questions the true meaning of the term "sellout." He makes the point that if an item in a store is 'sold out' it's a good thing but it becomes a negative when applied to a person. Questioning what it means when some successful rappers refer to themselves as"thugs" and inspired by Tupac's "Thug Life" tattoo I created this week's piece....
My intention is to suggest that there's an amount of "tommin" or "selling out" involved with anyone who has achieved a certain degree of success especially at the level of a wealthy rapper, producer or musician (especially any who refer to themselves as a "thug" and/or has crossed over to film and television. I remember reading that Snoop Dogg are good friends. I don't know, perhaps there's a thug and Tom in all of us.
And, I also recently finished this larger piece....
paying homage to Josiah Henson and attempting to recontextualize the term "Uncle Tom".
There are 10x10 prints available for $30 of these three.....
And 10x13 prints also for $30 of these...
These are 16x16 for $50
And finally, I have large 28x36 prints of this one for $150
All images are printed on high quality, heavy watercolor paper with archival inks, hand signed with 2" boarders on all sides.
Just respond here to buy any of these prints, or if you have questions about the originals or would like to arrange a studio visit. Also, WHERE TO FIND ME (this fall)
The Picture Book Re-Imagined (group show): Pratt & Bank Street College of Education Exhibit Closing Reception Thursday, Sept. 15th, 2016, Pratt Manhattan, 144 West 14th St. 6-8:30pm
Under The Big Top (group show): Opening Reception Friday, Sept. 16, 2016 (More info to come)
Brooklyn Book Festival:-Panel discussion-Censorship of difficult subject matter in children's literature-Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016 (See Brooklyn Book Festival websites for exact time & location)
Vegas Valley Book Festival: Signing & reading, Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. 4th St.Las Vegas, NV Saturday, Oct. 15th, 2016 10am-4pm, (to be confirmed)
Gowanus Open Studios: MadArts 255 18th St, Studio #30 Brooklyn, NY Sunday, Oct. 16th 12-6pm
Brooklyn Public Library Grand Army Plaza 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY Solo Exhibit, Youth Wing November 16, 2016 through the end of January 2017 Thx!
Sean .............................. Instagram.com/Sean_Qualls
0 Comments on WEEKLY PAINTING #10-Why I love Uncle Tom and Why You Should Too! as of 1/1/1900
Uncle Tom was the worst insult that could be hurled at a person of color. Case in point, on a 1988 airing of the Geraldo Show, politician and activist Roy Innis (who has found himself on the unfortunate side of several debates including the issue of gun control) was called an "Uncle Tom" by John Metzger of the Aryan Resistance. Insulted and affronted, Innis leaves his chair and grabs Metzger by the throat, just before the whole show descends into bedlam, becoming one of the early, eventful moments in shock television.
At the time, I was old enough to know what the term meant and even though I don't remember ever being called an "Uncle Tom," (as so many similar slurs were freely used to hurt people in my childhood) I was often called "oreo" - meaning black on the outside and white on the inside. I began to wonder about the origin of the term "Uncle Tom" and decided that Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel UNCLE TOM'S CABIN was the best place to unearth some answers. To my surprise, the character of Uncle Tom was not the despicable traitor to his race, cavorting and conspiring with "old massa," that I had imagined.
Later, greater insight came to me, from all places, an episode of the Jeffersons. In the show, George calls Louise's uncle, who's visiting from out of a town, an "Uncle Tom." Louise's uncle then gives George a brief history lesson about a man named Josiah Henson whose autobiography "inspired" Harriett Beecher Stowe's UNCLE TOM'S CABIN and was the basis for the character. It turns out that not only did Josiah Henson escape slavery and write his autobiography, he was a minister, abolitionist (helping many to escape slavery) and founder of a settlement and school in Canada for those escaping slavery. In addition, it seems that Stowe may have been more than just inspired by his autobiography- - http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/abolitn/henson49hp.html
I was disturbed and irked that this man, Josiah Henson, who made such a compelling contribution to American history, literature and the abolition of slavery has had his legacy so altered and corrupted. A mentor of mine once referred to a quote that he attributed to the novelist Flaubert, - "eat like the bourgeois, talk like the bourgeois and save your anger for your art." At the time I heard it, I'm not sure if it was an affirmation of what I was already doing or a call to action, but it's stuck with me and has become an animating force for my work. Sambo, Uncle Tom, and all the wrongs of history, especially those that personally troubled me have become fodder for my art.
Still mystified as to how this man's name and character became an epithet and an object of derision, I continued my quest, all the while thinking about bringing his story to my work. This is the first painting....
Followed by this....
And sketchbook work...
I began to consider the divisive power of such a term, the negative consequences of such labeling and the parameters that determine if one is indeed an "Uncle Tom" or "sellout." Who or what jury determines such a thing? In a conversation with Cornell West and Tavis Smiley, musician Bill Withers questions the true meaning of the term "sellout." He makes the point that if an item in a store is 'sold out' it's a good thing but it becomes a negative when applied to a person. Questioning what it means when some successful rappers refer to themselves as"thugs" and inspired by Tupac's "Thug Life" tattoo I created this week's piece....
My intention is to suggest that there's an amount of "tommin" or "selling out" involved with anyone who has achieved a certain degree of success especially at the level of a wealthy rapper, producer or musician (especially any who refer to themselves as a "thug" and/or has crossed over to film and television. I remember reading that Snoop Dogg are good friends. I don't know, perhaps there's a thug and Tom in all of us.
And, I also recently finished this larger piece....
paying homage to Josiah Henson and attempting to recontextualize the term "Uncle Tom".
There are 10x10 prints available for $30 of these three.....
And 10x13 prints also for $30 of these...
These are 16x16 for $50
And finally, I have large 28x36 prints of this one for $150
All images are printed on high quality, heavy watercolor paper with archival inks, hand signed with 2" boarders on all sides.
Just respond here to buy any of these prints, or if you have questions about the originals or would like to arrange a studio visit. Also, WHERE TO FIND ME (this fall)
The Picture Book Re-Imagined (group show): Pratt & Bank Street College of Education Exhibit Closing Reception Thursday, Sept. 15th, 2016, Pratt Manhattan, 144 West 14th St. 6-8:30pm
Under The Big Top (group show): Opening Reception Friday, Sept. 16, 2016 (More info to come)
Brooklyn Book Festival:-Panel discussion-Censorship of difficult subject matter in children's literature-Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016 (See Brooklyn Book Festival websites for exact time & location)
Vegas Valley Book Festival: Signing & reading, Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. 4th St.Las Vegas, NV Saturday, Oct. 15th, 2016 10am-4pm, (to be confirmed)
Gowanus Open Studios: MadArts 255 18th St, Studio #30 Brooklyn, NY Sunday, Oct. 16th 12-6pm
Brooklyn Public Library Grand Army Plaza 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY Solo Exhibit, Youth Wing November 16, 2016 through the end of January 2017 Thx!
Sean .............................. Instagram.com/Sean_Qualls
0 Comments on WEEKLY PAINTING #10-Why I love Uncle Tom and Why You Should Too! as of 1/1/1900
as a kid, got me interested in my own family's ancestry. Although, it wasn't until about 10 years ago, around the time my son was born, that I finally started digging on my mother's side of the family tree. If you've ever done any digging yourself you know how exciting and time consuming it can be, but in a short amount of time I made decent progress.
Then a couple of years ago, my aunt gave me these two portraits of my great-grandparents.I'm guessing the photos are about 100 years old.
Their daughter, my grandmother, Blanche, was born in either 1916 or 1917 so I estimate the photos were taken around then, give or take a few years. These portraits are a part of my family history. And until seeing them and delving into my family's ancestry online, it was a family history that I was not too sure actually existed let alone connected to a larger American history.
Part of what fuels my art (and illustration) is the desire to shine a light on those who have been forgotten by history, underrepresented or misrepresented. My goal is not to merely tell their stories but to reframe them and their lives. By reframing, I mean looking at people and events from a different vantage point and thereby changing the way we perceive them, reminding us that identity is perception and therefore malleable, not static. The first piece of work where I consciously used reframing was A Brief History of Sambo.
For me, the portraits of my great-grandparents suggest that they were people that mattered, even though their names may only be a small piece of a larger historical record. Often times African-American history is linked to the history of oppression, poverty, brutality and blight, as though they are all synonymous. In terms of success, names like CJ Walker, George Washington Carver and Frederick Douglas are important and familiar but by no means the whole story. There are countless people who we learn about during the 28 days of February, many who were part of the Civil-Rights Movement but still that's just a portion of the picture. Industries such as law, medicine, art, invention, publishing, hospitality, real estate and apparel are all areas where numerous African-Americans made a name for themselves. People like Arthur Gaston, Jeremiah G. Hamilton, John Coburn and Chloe Spear are just a few names but their success defies the perceived norm and that success was not confined to just one era but was a truth, for some, throughout the history of Blacks in America. Given the circumstances of how we arrived here, our presence in America today conveys a success that pervades all of American history.
Back to this week's piece. In the spirit of those industrious people who's stories remain untold (and the portraits of my great-grandparents), I created this week's piece-"Black Business 1890."
The portrait is of no one in particular and the date arbitrary but the objective of the piece is to emphasize my previous points. The print is 10x10" including 2" borders on all sides. Printed on heavyweight, ph-neutral, cold-press watercolor paper with archival inks. Just respond here or email me [email protected] with Weekly Painting #9 in the subject if you would like one.
I apologize to anyone who has been waiting for these updates. It's been awhile, I know. I have more to share so stay tuned!
Oh,one more thing.
This Sunday, May 15th in Brooklyn,
I will be at the 5th Ave Street Fair, 5th Ave between 1st and 2nd Street in the artist area. I may have one or two proofs left of the Black Business 1890 and a Brief History of Sambo. Hope to see you!
Part of the joy and challenge of being an artist for me,
is not knowing exactly how a work a will evolve or look when finished. And although I usually have something of a vision of what I want, rarely does a painting turn out exactly how I imagined - sometimes it's close and I'm satisfied and sometimes I'm happily surprised by the results. Much of my personal work has been inspired and influenced by vintage advertising graphics, more specifically products featuring African-Americans or those geared to African-Americans.
A few years back, I created this piece based on the idea of a fictitious line of hair products called New Age Hair Grease.
On the same theme, later I did this piece but with no hand lettering.
Fast forward to 2015, I wanted to do more with the NAHG theme. I didn't have a really strong vision of what I wanted the piece to look like but knew that I wanted it to be a step forward from the previous ones.
Especially with my daily/weekly paintings, I try to keep things simple (and small) so
that I can easily move onto the next one and not get stuck. Simple enough in theory but it seems like there's often a "hiccup" which impedes progress - as it was this piece was leaving me very dissatisfied.
I decided to move onto other paintings but eventually came back to it and decided to strip away most parts, the hand lettering most of all.
I also wanted to base the face on a woman from a previous piece (above) that I was happier with.
I added more overall contrast. This was definitely a case where I did not have a strong vision for the final art, but I
knew it still wasn't quite there. I integrated hand lettering but decided not to continue with the original NAHG theme. I added more subtlety of color and values.
Finally finished.
I have a few prints of some of the above images available ranging from $30-$50 plus shipping.
NAHG #1 is 13X16", image size 9x12" with 2" boarders on all sides - $50
Star Power is 9x9", image size 5x5" with 2" boarders on all sides - $30 (currently sold-out, back in stock soon.)
Afro Psyche #1 is 10 x 13", image size is 6x9" with 2" boarders on all sides - $45 (currently sold out-order now, back in stock soon)
Red Psyche is also 10 x 13", image size is 6x9" with 2" boarders on all sides - $45
Fro is also available 10x10", image size is 6x6" with 2" boarders on all sides - $40
I have a limited number of prints, first come, first serve. Each one is printed on 300lbs.ph-neutral, oba-free, watercolor paper with archival inks. Just leave a comment and we can work out the details.
Again, stay tuned. If you know anyone you think may be interested please direct them here to my blog or have them contact me and I’ll add them to my list.
Apologies to those who have been waiting for updates. Now that I'm in my new studio I hope to keep the blog updated with new work more regularly.
Sean
0 Comments on SEAN QUALLS - DAILY/WEEKLY PAINTINGS #8 as of 1/1/1900
I don't remember exactly when I first heard the story of Sara Baartman,
nor do I recall the first time I heard the term "Hottentot Venus" as she became known but what I do recall is my fascination with her and her life. If you don't already know it, read more here.Briefly, she was born in South Africa in the 19th Century and was taken to Europe in her early 20's to be examined by doctors then shown off in a circus because of her unusually large buttocks.When she died her brain and other body parts were displayed in a museum in France until the 1980's. Author, visual artist and poet Barbara Chase-Riboud wrote a novel based on her life.
Part of the animating force behind my personal work is uncovering "invisible histories" or untold stories. Another book (and similar story) I recently discovered is about Ota Benga a man from the Democratic Republic of Congo who lived in the 19th & 20th centuries.
Here's this week's piece:This one is 6x6, mixed media on masonite panel.
Again, I'll be creating new posts every week, hopefully on Friday but if not, before the weekend is over. If you know of anyone interested please refer them here.
Right now, I'm in Columbus, OH about to speak on a panel: “The Power of Picture Books: Illustrators Who Use Pictures to Speak” for the 17th Annual Conference for American Association of School Librarians, AASL.Also,next weekend, Selina and I will be at the Brooklyn Museum's Ninth Annual Children's Book Fair on Saturday Nov. 14 from 12-4pm.
Thanks!
Sean
0 Comments on DAILY/WEEKLY PAINTING #7 as of 11/7/2015 1:09:00 AM
The Baby on the Way, I was required to alternate between scenes of the rural south and an urban rooftop garden. This was back in 2004 when I first began using hand-painted paper as collage for grass and other foliage.
Soon after, I was offered the opportunity to illustrate The Poet Slave of Cuba While I did use some collage for the art, I mostly painted the foliage.
Around the same time I was creating art for the book Dizzy, about the life of jazz icon Dizzy Gillespie. I used the same stylization for flames as I had been for grass.
I came to really enjoy adding these decorative elements to my art not only enhanced the imagery but also gave me an opportunity to be more abstract in my work.
By the time I illustrated Lullaby , I wanted to take a different approach to these elements and began including magazine collage along with my hand-painted collage papers and the foliage took on a greater prominence.
And with Emmanuel's Dream, I decided that a dialed back, hand-painted collage paper approach would work best to accent the landscape of Ghana.
This week I have two pieces to share:
From time to time, I like to return to my earlier art to see what I was doing at the time. Often, I'll find elements in the work that I want to explore further. I like to think of it as finding forgotten conversations.
These are both mixed media on 6x6" on masonite.
Next week I'll be in Columbus, OH speaking on a panel: “The Power of Picture Books: Illustrators Who Use Pictures to Speak” for the 17th Annual Conference for American Association of School Librarians, AASL (http://national.aasl.org/) . Also, Selina and I will be at theBrooklyn Museum's Ninth Annual Children's Book Fair (https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/calendar/event/ninth_annual_childrens_book_fair) on Nov. 14 from 12-4pm. Thanks! Sean
0 Comments on DAILY/WEEKLY PAINTING #7 as of 10/31/2015 3:47:00 AM
In a previous post, I wrote about my childhood afro-envy. Because hair adorns one's, head it can be likened to a crown. Personally, I see hair as an outward extension of one's consciousness, one's inner personality and not just a fashion statement, although it can be
The sixties were a perfect example. Long haired hippies made a statement about how they were different than their parents' generation and about their desires to be free from social norms and constrictions.
Similarly, in the 60's, the afro became a statement for African-Americans about being comfortable with themselves, defining their own values and replacing the conk
and other previous straightened hair styles with their natural hair texture. Even James Brown stopped straightening his hair and proclaimed - "Say it loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud.
And of course there was the Black Panther Party.
Finally, this week's piece was inspired by these two women:
Angela Davis
& Kathleen Cleaver
Afro Psyche #1 is 6x9" (slightly larger than my usual 6x6" pieces) mixed media on plywood.
Again, I'll be posting updates every week, hopefully on Fridays but if not before the weekend is over. If you know of anyone interested in receiving updates please share this post with them. This weekend I'll be in Austin for the Texas Book Fest. I still hope to have the update posted but if not you'll know why.
Lastly, Selina and I had a blast last week at The NAIBA Conference where we accepted the Carla Cohen Free Speech Award for The Case for Loving. Here's a very blurry photo of us giving our acceptance speech.
isn't always fun for me. I find myself fighting not to surrender to the messages they intentionally or unintentionally feed us. Are films (and television) only entertainment or do they suggest how we see ourselves and the rest of the world?
In considering this question, I started to think about how much (or how little) the role of African-Americans has changed in Hollywood. At the most elemental level, I asked myself, "Are there more leading and supporting black characters in Hollywood now than there were 100 years ago?" This led to thoughts of who were the first black actors in Hollywood?" I thought of Stepin Fetchit, Amos & Andy, Mantan Moreland and, of course,D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation which did employ some black actors but also featured white men in "black face."
I asked myself, "who were these men (and women) and how did they see themselves compared to the one-dimensional stereotypes they portrayed?"
I began doing sketches for paintings on the subject.
First, I did a larger piece about the actor Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry also known as Stepin Fetchit - A Brief History of Stepin Fetchit 24x30 mixed media on 1/4" hardboard.
That lead to these two smaller pieces I did for my daily/weekly painting. They are not about the characters the actors played but more of a contemplation of the inner lives' of the actors.
They are both 6x6, acrylic, pencil and collage on 1/8" hardboard. Again, I'll be updating my blog every week, hopefully on Friday but if not before the weekend is over. If you know of anyone interested in receiving updates please direct them here.
Best,
Sean
0 Comments on DAILY/WEEKLY PAINTING #4 as of 10/3/2015 4:25:00 PM
In the early 90’s, I didn’t know a thing about jazz. I considered it the soundtrack to the affairs of old folks.
Later as a student at Pratt, I began listening to WKCR in my dorm room. Although they played other genres, jazz was a large part of their programming. They often played day long marathons of one artist. I heard the music of Sarah Vaughn, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman. I started to learn about the different types of jazz and how distinct one is from another. I learned that jazz is as sophisticated as the art forms I was learning about in art school. I started to view jazz musicians like Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Sun Ra not only as great artists but as iconoclasts and men of mystery who were forging new paths in music and creating “the shape of jazz to come.”
When Ornette Coleman died this summer, I decided to pay tribute to him with a painting.
This one is 6x6”, acrylic paint, pencil and collage on 1/8” hardboard.
Again, stay tuned if you want to continue receiving updates. If you know anyone you think may be interested please share this email with them or have them contact me and I’ll add them to my list.
Best,
Sean
0 Comments on DAILY/WEEKLY PAINTING #3 as of 1/1/1900
Growing an afro was one of my greatest ambitions and frustrations. All of my attempts resulted in a lumpy, uneven, grease packed mess! Still, ads for afro-sheen and other black hair products gave me hope. In the end, they never seemed to deliver what they promised - my hair was left unchanged, sometimes worse off. Eventually, I gave up.
To this day, afros still fascinate me and leave me longing. People who sport them seem to have a sense of pride and personal power. For me, the memory of these ads (and their promise of a better life) still reverberate from my childhood. Years after the fact, I find myself inspired by the optimism and mystique of the graphics used to promote them.
This painting, FRO #1, is 6x6”, acrylic paint, pencil and collage on 1/8” hardboard.
Again, stay tuned if you want to continue receiving updates. If you know anyone you think may be interested please share this with them or have them contact me here and I’ll add them to my list. If you missed my first daily painting you can check it out herehttp://seanqualls.blogspot.com/2015/09/daily-painting-1.html
Best,
Sean
0 Comments on DAILY PAINTING #2 as of 9/18/2015 3:17:00 AM
I've dedicated myself to painting daily. You may be asking yourself, "Don't most artists paint everyday anyway?" Well, I can only speak for myself and the truth is I wasn't. I allowed other things to take over my day instead of making time to do personal work i.e. painting for me. Even if I was doing commissioned work like illustrating a book, I could spend most of my work day gathering reference material or responding to emails but not painting or drawing let alone doing it for myself.
By personal work I mean art that speaks to me about how I see myself, the world, race, identity and the media, I've been inspired by the Daily Painting Movement which is a growing number of artists who have dedicated themselves to painting everyday, some starting and completing a new piece every 24 hours, generally a small work. So far, for me, I'm averaging one and a half pieces per week.
If you're interested in keeping up with my progress stay tuned, I plan to send out updates every Friday with new work. If you know someone you think may be interested, please share this email with them or have them contact me and I will add them to the list.
For this week I'd like to share this piece:
Reverend Ike was a minister my mom listened to and watched on television in the 1970's. Recently, I found a link to one of his interviews on youtube. I was instantly brought back to my childhood and my mother's $ contributions to his ministry watching this flamboyant televangelist. Ever since hearing about the minister Jim Jones when I was a kid, I've been fascinated by extreme religious personalities and their lives. I'm sure Reverend Ike is only one of many off-beat religious characters that I will paint. This one is 6x6", ( a little larger than a cd case but slightly smaller than a 45rpm record) mixed media (acrylic paint, pencil) and collage on 1/8" hardboard. #reverend ike, # rev ike, #Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II, #preacher, #seanQualls, #dailypainting, #mydailypainting,
0 Comments on DAILY PAINTING #1 as of 9/10/2015 10:39:00 PM
In case you were wondering why I haven't posted here in awhile,
it's because I've moved things over to my artist page on facebook. If you're into the social media thing (I'm not so much, I really only do fb and instagram), browse my artist page facebook.com/seanquallsartist Remember to click the "like" button. While I'll still post stuff here once in a blue, I've been updating my artist page about once a week. You can read about my new book LULLABY (poem by Langston Hughes) and also get details on things like the 5th Ave. Street Fair in Brooklyn where I'll be selling and signing copies of LULLABY, some of my other books and prints too, today!
0 Comments on Whatever Happened to Sean Qualls' Blog? as of 1/1/1900
In case you were wondering why I haven't posted here in a while,
it's because I've moved things over to my artist page on facebook. If you're into the social media thing (I'm not so much, I really only do fb and instagram), browse my artist page facebook.com/seanquallsartist Remember to click the "like" button. While I'll still post stuff here once in a blue, I've been updating my artist page about once a week. You can read about my new book LULLABY (by Langston Hughes) and also get details on things like the 5th Ave. Street Fair in Brooklyn where I'll be selling and signing copies of LULLABY, some of my other books and prints too, today!
0 Comments on What Ever Happened to Sean Qualls's Blog? as of 1/1/1900
I am participating in GOa borough-wide open studio project organized by the Brooklyn Museum. Over 1800 Brooklyn artistswill open their studios this weekend.
Visitors get to vote for their favorite artists.
Artists who receive the most votes will be included in an exhibit at the
Brooklyn Museum this December.
I’ll be showing art from over13 children’s books that I've illustrated,
personal work (including drawings and sketchbooks) and works in progress.
My studio (and my wife's) will be open from 11am-7pm Saturday, Sept. 8 and Sunday, Sept. 9.
Way back in the day before I knew anything about making picture books, a friend introduced me to the work of Leo & Diane Dillon. Just a few months ago, my wife Selina Alko and I had the honor to meet with them in their home and discuss art, race, and the world of picture books. Sadly, Leo just passed on Saturday, the 26th. I’m forever grateful to them both for many years of inspiration.
The Dillons in 1976. Photograph by Terry Langendeon.
Diane Dillon
by Leo Dillon DIANE DILLON is one of the finest artists I’ve ever known, and I realized it even before I met her. I was at Parsons School of Design in New York City when one day I noticed a painting hanging on the wall at a student exhibition. It was a painting of a chair—an Eames chair—and I knew it had to be by a new student because nobody in our class at the time could paint like that. I looked at the painting, and I thought, ”I’m in trouble now!” This artist could draw. That was all right—I could draw too. This artist knew perspective, which is one of the most difficult things a beginner has to learn. And most important—this artist had the patience to render! This artist was a whole lot better than I. I figured I’d better find out who he was. He was Diane. I hadn’t spoken to her yet—in fact, I wasn’t sure I was going to—when she came over to me and said, “You are very good.” “Hah!” I thought. “Talented Miss Wasp is now going to condescend to tell one of the menials he’s good. I know better. I said, “I see that one of your pieces is very nice too.” And that pretty much set the tone of our relationship for the next several years. One of the things about Di’s work that is so incredible is her use of color. She can do things with color I can hardly believe—make reds look cool and blues look warm, things like that because she really understands color. Once, after we were married, we were working on a piece and she mentioned very casually that we should do the color in pink and orange. “If we do it in pink and orange,” I said, “that will be the end! I can’t live with someone who’d do anything in pink and orange. We’ll have to get a divorce!” We did it in pink and orange, of course, and a couple of years later everywhere I turned I was seeing things in pink and orange. It’s a common combination now. People wonder a lot about how we work together. But I don’t think people ever realize how hard it was for us to learn how to blend our styles. It was years and years before we could pass a piece of work back and forth between us and not get into a fight. One time we were working on an illustration, and we just couldn’t agree about the approach. It was a book jacket, I think, something about medieval knights. I thought the style should be rough and strong; Di thought it should be fine and delicate. We fought about it, but neither of us could convince the other, and neither was willing to compromise. We ended up using both styles – the bottom
I just found this reading of DIZZY. I think Jonah Winter would approve. It has a long (and funny) intro but you may want to skip ahead to about 1:20 where the reading begins. Be sure to catch the kung fu moves at the end.
The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books - Freedom Song: The Story of Henry “Box” Brown; illus. by Sean Qualls. Harper/HarperCollins, 2012 32p ISBN 978-0-06-058310-1 $17.99 R* 5-8yrs Ellen Levine and Kadir Nelson’s Henry’s Freedom Box (BCCB 4/07) sets the bar high for picture books about the Virginia slave who endured pummeling confinement in a crate as he had himself shipped to New York and freedom. Walker, inspired by the discovery that Henry Brown sang for many years in a church choir, takes a more poetic but equally successful tack, imagining that rhythm and song sustained Brown throughout his years of enslaved labor and inspired him to seek his freedom when his wife and children were sold away from Virginia. Walker infuses her text and Brown’s thoughts with patterned phrasing, from the “twist, snap, pick-a-pea” work songs he sang in the fields, to the “freedom-land, family, stay-together words” that comforted him as a child, to the “stay-still, don’t move, wait-to-be-sure words” that kept him silent as he waited for release from his shipping crate. Qualls’ mixed-media illustrations, far more dreamy and stylized than Nelson’s near-photorealistic renderings, are nonetheless an excellent match for Walker’s text. Even his signature aquas and pinks, embellished with free-floating bubbles, are tempered with more sober grays, browns, and deep blues, and weighted with heavily textured brushwork. An author’s note touches on Walker’s research and what little is known of Brown’s subsequent history; also appended is the fascinating text of a letter from Brown’s accomplice in 1849, detailing Brown’s escape and cautioning the recipient, “for Heaven’s sake don’t publish this affai or allow it to be published. It would . . . prevent all others from escaping in the same way.” EB
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Photographers Tribble & Mancenido photographed nine artists for CODE Magazine. Check out the other eight artists here. Many thanks to Tracey and James for including me and Peter Duhon for the interview.
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Recently, I had the privelege in joining 11 other artists to help Scholastic launch a month long global literacy campaign, "Read Every Day, Lead a Better Life." All 12 of us created art that is being used for posters to promote the campaign. And now for the month of May, the original art is being auctioned online. The auction benefits two great organizations, Reading is Fundamental and Reach Out and Read. I'm not saying you should bid on my piece, after all there are 11 other artists who's work I'm sure you would love to win. A bid for anyone's art would be a fantastic thing! Here's my art .
And who are the other 11 artists? Check out the picture below. On Thursday, Scholastic invited us all to their headquarters for a day long launch party. It was an honor to meet all of the illustrators, especially Norman Bridwell (the creator of Clifford the Big Red Dog) who was there with his lovely wife, Norma.The picture up top is of me with Stephen Savage and Jon J. Muth.
L to R: Jon J. Muth (Zen Shorts), Mary GranPré (Harry Potter), Norman Bridwell (Clifford the Big Red Dog), Raina Telgemeier (Smile), Bruce Degan (The Magic School Bus), Barbara McClintock (Our Abe Lincoln), Ed Fotheringham (Tony Baloney), David Shannon (No, David), Jeff Smith (Bone), Sean Qualls (Dizzy), Mark Teague (LaRue) and (gulp) me. Photo credit: Stuart Ramson.
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CELEBRATE EARTH DAY! . SUNDAY APRIL 17TH, 2011 1-3Pm @ Books of wonder.
I'll be signing copies of GIANT STEPS TO CHANGE THE WORLD at Books of Wonder this Sunday. Joining will be friends Peter Brown and Monica Wellington signing their books as well as authors/illustrators Patrick McDonnell and Brian Yanish . Come join!
Books of Wonder 18 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011
http://www.booksofwonder.com/events041711.asp
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